The dry itchy skin of eczema which can become full blown painful sores if scratched or inflamed further can be an absolute nightmare for sufferers of this all too common condition. Because of the extreme pain sometimes people go to dangerous lengths attempting to cure it without knowing the risks. So what eczema skin treatments should you use and what should you stay away from? Here are a few tips to help you make the best decision.

What works

• Moisturizing - Keeping the affected parts of your skin moisturized is very important as part of your ongoing treatment of eczema. Since the skin does not have a proper protective barrier like healthy skin you can add a substitute barrier in the form of moisturizers such as Vaseline and Aloe Vera. With liberal application you can protect the skin underneath and sooth the pain at the same time. here are many types of moisturizer you can use but whatever brand or product you purchase make sure they are not perfumed or contain any soapy substances, the less frills the better as these additives can aggravate your condition further.



• Cleansing - You must keep your skin very clean to stop irritants attacking your eczema affected areas. However soap is a major irritant so you must use soap free liquid cleansers for the best results. Products such as Seaquanil, Spectro Jel and Cetaphil are recommended. Also when bathing make sure the water is not too hot and your showers and not too long either and when drying make sure you pat dry instead of rubbing yourself dry with a clean towel every time.



• Contact avoidance - Many substances that make contact with your skin can cause problems for eczema sufferers. Clothing such as wool, nylon and polyester are very bad against your skin and even worse are materials like rubber and plastic based clothing. IF you do want to wear these things make sure you have some cotton clothing underneath against your skin. It is also important to avoid any detergents and soaps when cleaning dishes as these can really irritate sensitive skin



• Avoid Trigger foods - Eggs, peanuts, milk, soy beans, wheat and seafood are all known to be common trigger foods meaning they can cause eczema flare ups in people susceptible to them. While not everyone has the same triggers these foods are recommended to be reduced or avoided depending on your sensitivity to them

What to avoid

• Corticosteroids - The use of steroids in extreme cases of eczema are all too common but the side effects can be horrendous. Some noted side effects include: Cataracts, Glaucoma, Hypertension, Osteoporosis, and many others. The use of drugs like these are a short term solution with many possibly life threatening drawbacks and should be avoided.



• Any cure all pill - If anyone says they have a medicine that completely cures eczema do not believe them. Eczema can be controlled to a point you can cure the symptoms and may never suffer them again if you do the right things but your body does always have the condition. Good treatment of the symptoms and then further treatment of the root causes of eczema will allow you to live an eczema free life but no medicine available actually cures the base condition.